Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2021 21:30:06 -0700 From: Jon McGee Subject: Potions Master Chapter 2 Potions Master Chapter 2 By Jon McGee, cottagecore.stories@gmail.com ***** "So," said the Queen. "Let us do the Binding." "Your Majesty, I think this may be a mistake." "Queens do not make mistakes." "I am not the right Potions Master to help Prince Linden through these trials." "Nonsense!" said the Queen with genuine anger. "There is no one better. We shall Bind and then discuss these matters in more depth." "Your Majesty," I pleaded, "I cannot brew a potion to change the Prince in the way you seek." "You misapprehend me, Master Green. I would not have you change Prince Rowan in any way." "Then what is my task?" "You must find in Prince Linden some element you can inspire, or exploit if you must, that will produce in him desire to sire an heir. Two would be better. But I will not talk of this any further until you are Bound." "Then let us shall proceed." "You have been Bound before, I believe?" "To the Guild, Your Majesty. Never to a House or an individual." "Your Bind to the Guild will remain intact, unless it conflicts with your Bind to House Brooks, which I do not expect." "Very well, Your Majesty." "Standard terms in addition to the payment I have already outlined. One year of Bound service, to be revisited at the end of the year. The Bind will last in perpetuity, even if one of us terminates the relationship." "I understand, Your Majesty." The Queen read from a sheet of parchment, "Do you pledge to serve House Brooks faithfully and truly, to the utmost of your abilities, during your tenure as Potions Master?" "I do." "Do you pledge to bear true faith and offer your undivided allegiance to House Brooks during your tenure as Potions Master to us?" "I do." "Do you pledge to hold most secret and confidential any and all aspects of your work as Potions Master to House Brooks?" "I do." "Do you undertake these obligations of your own free will, without any division of loyalty or reservation or means of evasion regarding the obligations of your Office?" "I do." "Extend your writing hand hand, Master Green." The Queen pricked the ball of by thumb with a silver dagger and squeezed a few drops of my blood into a small bottle of golden ink. "Sign here and you will be Bound. Material Breach of this Binding Agreement will cause your instant death. Do you understand?" "I do, Your Majesty." Using the golden ink, I signed the parchment. With my final pen-stroke, I felt a chill fall from the crown of my head to the tip of my toes, as if I had been doused in ice water and then dried instantly. I had felt no such sensation when I was Bound to the Guild, but that Bind was under Penalty of Silence not Penalty of Death. So be it. "You are Bound. We welcome you to our service. We will continue our discussion." "What you ask of me will not be easy, Your Majesty." "Perhaps not, but the Prince has been groomed for the throne since the day of his birth. He knows his duty to the Kingdom and this family. He wishes to continue the proud legacy of House Brooks. To do so, he must reproduce." "Does he know of me?" "The Prince knows I am interviewing for a Potions Mater, whom I hope will help generate an heir. I have told him nothing of you personally. He is dubious of my plans." "This may take some time, Your Majesty." "Time is one thing we have. We are still negotiating betrothal pacts. Nothing will be final for at least six months, perhaps closer to a year. We will take our time. I would have the Prince ready on his wedding night." "Your Majesty, there is one other thing perhaps I should say." "Go on, Master Green." "Like Prince Linden, I prefer the company of men." "I see. Why do you believe I should know this?" "I assume you may already know it," I said. She acknowledged my suspicion with the slight dip of her forehead. "If you did not, I would not want you surprised." "You are the right Master for this task. You are of an age with the Prince and he will find you attractive, I am sure. You share interests, wild places and dusty books, maybe more. You will need to know the Prince well if you are to find a potion that will cause him an heir." "The more I know of Prince Linden's Elements, the sooner I may succeed." "Quite right," said the Queen. "What do you know of him?" "I would rather not traffic in rumor, Your Majesty. I have never met the Prince and have no personal knowledge of him." "We may have use of your skills as a diplomat, Master Green. Very well. Prince Linden will be a strong King. He is an apt student of both statecraft and matters of the economy. He sits on my Regency Council and I find myself seeking his advice first among my advisors. His battle training has gone well and continues apace, although we hope never to need test those abilities." "What of his Royal Magics?" I asked. The Queen paused for a moment before answering. "His Royal Magics are . . . developing. He has not shown his father's aptitude but Royal Magic often does not blossom until after coronation, or so say the Mages." "His personality?" "Kings must be strong, confident, assured. Prince Linden plays the role well, for now. Most don't even realize he is acting. To move from actor to King will require time and experience and the confidence those bring." "Privately?" "As a boy, Linden was bookish, quiet, perhaps even shy. After his father's death, he came to understand that as King he must lead, and not from the library. He has trained hard to project vigor and strength, which he possesses in ample amounts. But the scholar is still part of him." "You mentioned that Prince Linden likes wild places. I have heard of his hunts." "Yes, Linden and his hunts. In truth, he is indifferent to the hunt, but he enjoys the chase. I daresay he also likes getting away from his minders to explore the Kingdom's wild places." "What has he said to you about the marriage bed." The Queen chuckled darkly. "Such decorousness, Master Green. I hear Master Hall speaking through you as if he were here." I smiled. In addition to potions, Master Hall had mentored me in how to speak with powerful people. "Yes, the `marriage bed.' Prince Linden has said that he does not desire the company of any woman and that he will not perform his duties as a husband with a woman he does not desire." "Has he met those women who might be his queen?" "Most but not all. So far, not even a spark of interest." "There are Glamours we could consider, to transform his bride into the image of one he wants. Or potions to alter his perception," I mused, knowing these were not the right answer. "It is . . . more complicated than that," the Queen said wearily. "True, he would know his bride is not the man he sees, but I am sure I could create a sense of desire sufficient to complete the act." "Master Green, the Prince enjoys receiving the favor of men, if you understand me. Exclusively." Prince Bottom. So that rumor was true. "That does complicate things." "Quite," said the Queen in a clipped tone that told me she had no further interest in discussing the Crown Prince's favorite sexual positions. "Why not wine?" I asked after a moment. I was still on the wrong track, but while I had the Queen's attention, it wouldn't hurt to collect information. "Wine? Yes, we have considered it." "Or ale, if the Prince prefers. Many a babe has come into this world after a night in the cups. I suppose the Prince is not so easily compelled?" "The Prince believes a child born of a drunken union will grow to be a sot and a libertine." "There is evidence for that, although I believe it is more likely the result of how the child is raised than conditions on the night of conception." "You may be right, but Prince Linden will not father an heir in a drunken tryst, I can assure you of that." With that, the Queen was done with our interview. She rang a small silver bell. "My Secretary will see you out. We expect you on the morrow, 10:00 a.m. sharp. Present yourself to the gate guards and they will direct you. Good night." I returned to the Guild Hall, my head spinning. I packed my trunks, filling them with my equipment and books, my clothing and travel gear. Next, I visited Guild Master Eliazar's office, where I informed him of my new position and the rules I had agreed to as part of my service. "Well done, Master Green, well done indeed! We expect your successes will be many and varied." In the Guild Hall's tavern that night, Guild Master Eliazar stood and quieted the assembled Potion Masters and their invited guests by tapping his wine glass with the blade of his iron dagger. The Guild Master raised his glass and said to those assembled, "Tonight, we honor the success of Master Green, who was named today Potions Master of House Brooks. Great changes will come soon to House Brooks, and our entire kingdom as a result. There are no better hands to brew the potions of House Brooks than young Master Green. May you do us proud!" The assembled Master stood as one and echoed the Grand Master. "Master Green, you must do us proud!" they chanted in unison. I stood and bowed and completed the ritual, which followed each Potion Master's hire by a House or State. "I will do you proud!" I said loudly. The assembly cheered. The weeks that followed were a tumult. ***** Thank you for reading. 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